Stop Legislating Decisions, Start Enabling Parenthood

 

“We cannot love issues, but we can love people. And the love of people reveals to us the way to deal with issues.” Henry Nouwen

 Should a mother be forced to sacrifice her life for the life of an unborn child? What if that mother has other children? Should she knowingly leave them motherless? Should a mother be forced to carry a child to term knowing that the child’s death is inevitable upon birth? Should a woman have to be forever connected to her rapist through shared parenthood? Should a daughter have to carry the child of her father or brother? Is a child who had sex with a child meant to have a child? Should a mother bring another child into the world knowing she is unable to feed the children she has? Should mothers be forced to carry a child for nine months, grow attached to that child only to have to give the child up, because they can’t afford to feed and clothe their child? 

These are heart wrenching, complex situations that women face daily across our country. The answers to these questions have not been made clearer by the supreme court’s latest ruling.

Politicians have no place in these decisions; the government has no place in these decisions; strangers have no place in these decisions. Christians have only one place in these decisions - Love thy neighbor.

If you are pro-life and committed to stopping abortions, please consider you may have won a battle this week, but you are not winning the war. If you truly want to impact the abortion rate, then stop legislating decisions and start enabling parenthood. Elect leaders who will support universal birth control, fund parent education programs, childcare subsidy programs, early education programs, food assistance programs and continuing education programs. Stop sending your money to politicians and start sending it to organizations that make a difference in a child’s life after birth. Make it easier for women to say “yes” to motherhood and you will do far more than reduce the abortion rate; you will make a difference in children’s lives.